Black girls and school disciplinary mechanisms

Abstract

This study explores the disproportionate discipline of Black Girls in Ontario’s K-12 publicly funded schools. The current literature exploring racially disproportionate discipline and the school-to-prison pipeline obscures the ways in which Black females and males experience this phenomenon together yet differently. Semi-structured narrative interviews were conducted with seven self-identified Black women who were able to provide retrospective reflections about their disciplinary experiences in school. Critical analysis of the data revealed inequitable disciplinary challenges for Black girls through educators’ lack of compassion, Black girls’ hypervisibility in their schools, and distorted self-perceptions regarding their voices. Immediate interventions are required to address specific disciplinary concerns for Black girls. This study concludes with recommendations offered by participants.